Battle of Siguenza

The Battle of Siguenza (11 October 1138) was a battle of the Spanish Reconquista. The battle took place at the city of Siguenza in present-day Province of Guadalajara in Spain, and the battle was fought between the Kingdom of Castile and the Almoravid Dynasty. The Castilians were victorious due to a cavalry flanking strategy, and the Moorish commander Mohamed al-Taheri fled with his army.

History
The Spanish captail Miguel Barbero was sent into the lands of the Almoravid Dynasty with 1,061 troops in late 1138, with his goal being to raid the Moorish lands before winter came. The Spanish burnt several villages and harried the castles of southern Spain, but on 11 October 1138, an army of 1,121 Moorish troops under Captain Mohamed al-Taheri, dispatched to halt their advance, engaged them at the city of Siguenza, located in northern La Mancha.

The Moorish army was drawn from across the Almoravid dynasty; its warriors were drawn from the cities as militia, wielding swords and shields. Their ranged units were Sudanese Javelinmen from the far reaches of the Muslim empire, and their cavalry were Moorish cavalry. Meanwhile, the Spanish army had 1,061 Castilian troops, all of them ethnically Spanish. They included Sword and Buckler Men (men with swords and shields, wearing heavy armor), Feudal Knights, and Peasant Archers. The Spanish army were all Christian, and they sought to destroy their Muslim enemies.

Battle
The Castilian army had the high ground, so they decided to use it to their advantage. Captain Miguel deployed three mounted knight bands on each flank, with himself being deployed with two feudal knight units on the right flank. The peasant archers were stationed at the front of the army, and Captain Miguel told them not to act as if it was a skirmish, but instead hold their ground. Behind them were the Castilian Sword and Buckler Men, who made up the core of the infantry. The Moorish army had the Sudanese javelinmen at the front, cavalry on the wings, and the infantry in the center.

Captain Mohamed led his army in an attack against the Castilians, with the Sudanese Javelinmen clashing with the Peasant Archers. Soon, the Moorish cavalry charged the peasant archers and the Moorish warriors charged in, prompting the Castilian Sword and Buckler Men to join the fray and cut the Moors to ribbons. While the infantry hacked and stabbed, the Castilian knights on both flanks charged around the Moorish army and cut down the Sudanese javelinmen where they stood. Next, the Moorish general Mohamed al-Taheri fled on horseback with two other bodyguards, as the rest were killed in melee. Some Moorish units tried to make stands, but after their general fled, they were also forced to retreat.

The battle left 481 Moors dead and 319 in Castilian hands, while 348 Spanish knights were killed. The battle was a great victory for Castile, but they had to return to their lands soon after as winter approached, and they returned to friendly lands, where more Christian Spaniards joined their ranks.